2002 Newmar Kountry Star Owner Complaints

ON DECEMBER 29, 2008 I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FROM THE NEWMAR CORP. CONCERNING MY DOMETIC REFRIGERATOR IN MY 2002 NEWMAR KOUNTRY STAR 5TH WHEEL CAMPER. I CONTACTED DOMETIC THE SAME DAY AND THEY SCHEDULE A LOCAL RV SERVICE COMPANY TO LOOK AT PERFORMING THIS RECALL AND INSTALLING A PART TO PREVENT FIRES. YESTERDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2009 I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE RV DEALER SERVICE MANAGER AND HE ADVISED ME THAT MY DOMETIC REFRIGERATOR COOLING UNIT HAS FAILED AND I NEED TO REPLACE IT AT A COST OF $700 TO AS HIGH AS $1000.00. I CONTACTED DOMETIC THIS MORNING (FEBRUARY 13, 2009) VIA TELEPHONE AND THEY ARE REFUSING TO REPAIR/REPLACE THIS COOLING UNIT THAT IS NOT WORKING. DOMETIC HAS IN THE RECENT PAST REPLACED THESE COOLING UNITS IN CAMPERS NOT UNDER WARRANTY, BUT I FEEL DOMETIC KNOWS THEY HAVE A HUGE LIABILITY AND ARE NOW REFUSING TO FIX OR REPLACE THESE COOLING UNIT FAILURES BECAUSE OF THE COST INVOLVED. THEY ARE JUST FIXING THE UNITS WITH A SAFETY RECALL, BUT THOSE UNITS THAT HAVE ALREADY EXPERIENCED A FAILURE THEY ARE WASHING THEIR HANDS OF THIS PROBLEM AND PASSING THE COST ONTO THE CONSUMER. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE AN INVESTIGATION INTO THIS MATTER AND WHERE THERE HAS BEEN COOLING UNIT FAILURES BECAUSE OF THIS RECALL DOMETIC BE REQUIRED TO BEAR THE COST OF THE COOLING UNIT REPLACEMENT. DOMETIC STATES THAT THE FAILURES ARE LESS THAN 1% OF THE TOTAL. BUT IN MY CAMPGROUND AT SMITH MOUNTAIN LAKE, VA WE HAVE ALREADY HAD 2 CAMPERS HAVE THIS TYPE OF COOLING UNIT FAILURE AND JUST YESTERDAY ANOTHER NEIGHBOR OF MINE ALSO HAD HIS COOLING UNIT FAIL. THERE ARE ONLY 83 CAMPSITES AT THE LAKE AND WE NOW HAVE FOUR (4) IDENTICAL FAILURES OF THESE DOMETIC COOLING UNITS.... I AM REQUESTING THAT DOMETIC BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS FAILURE TO MAKE A RELIABLE PRODUCT FOR THE CONSUMERS AND NOT ALLOW THEM TO HIDE BEHIND A WARRANTY PROGRAM WHEN THEY OBVIOUSLY KNOW THEY HAVE A POTENTIAL PROBLEM FOR THE COOLING UNIT FAILURES OR WORST CASE OF A FIRE INSIDE ONE OF THESE CAMPERS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10258572

Incident

Dec 29, 2008

PRIMARY BATTERY CABLE GROUNDED INTO TURBO. NOT PROPERLY ANCHORED OR ROUTED. RUINED STARTER ,BATTERIES. CABLES WERE REROUTED BY A FREIGHTLINER SERVICE GARAGE ANCHORED STARTER CABLE REPLACED. I RECOMMENDED TO NEWMAR THAT A RECALL BE ISSUED AND ASKED TO BE REIMBURSED FOR MY DAMAGE. I WAS INFORMED THAT IT WAS THEIR OPINION THE CABLES WERE ADEQUATELY SECURED AND NO FURTHER ACTION WAS NECESSARY AND CLOSED THE ISSUE. WE LOST A PROPANE FACILITY IN LUBBOCK,TX TO FIRE LAST YEAR WHETHER THEY IDENTIFIED THE IGNITION SOURCE OR NOT I DON'T KNOW . I DO KNOW SOMETHING LIKE THIS COULD CAUSE A CATASTROPHE SUCH AS THIS. I DISAGREE WITH NEWMAR'S ASSESSMENT THAT THE CABLES ARE PROPERLY SECURED, IF THEY WERE MY PRIMARY BATTERY CABLE WOULD NOT HAVE WORKED ITS WAY INTO MY TURBO WITH SO FEW MILES. I HAVE THE BATTERY CABLE THAT WAS BURNT HALF INTO AS WELL AS PICTURES OF ROUTING AF CABLES BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER THE REPAIR. THE STARTER AND BATTERIES WERE CORE REPLACEMENTS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10212208

Incident

Nov 25, 2007

Mileage

25,160 mi

TL* - DOMETIC REFRIGERATOR RECALL #06E076000. THE CONTACT HAD NO PROBLEMS AT THIS TIME, BUT READ IN THE HIGHWAY RV MAGAZINE DATED JANUARY 2007 OF A DOMETIC REFRIGERATOR RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 KOUNTRY STAR BY NEWMAR, MODEL#KSFW33KSFB. *AK

NHTSA ID

10177102

Incident

Dec 27, 2006

CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL 04V037000 CONCERNING TIRES: CONSUMER WAS WAITING SINCE FEBRUARY OF 2004 TO GET RECALL REPAIRS DONE. DEALER CONTINUED TO GIVE THE CONSUMER A RUN AROUND. MICHELIN, XZA, 275/70R 22.5. *AK THE SERVICE DEALER ATTEMPTED TO FIX THE PROBLEM, BUT THERE WAS NO SUCCESS. THE RV WAS BUILT ON A FREIGHTLINER CHASSIS EQUIPPED MICHELIN TIRES. *SC

NHTSA ID

10087362

Incident

Feb 11, 2004

Mileage

20,000 mi

CONSUMER'S MOTOR HOME TIRES WERE BEING RECALLED BY THE MANUFACTURER. HOWEVER, THEY WERE UNAVAILABLE. NEWMAR, THE MANUFACTURER, WAS NOT VERY MUCH HELPFUL, EXCEPT TO SAY THAT THEY WILL DO IT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, WHICH WAS 6 MONTHS IN TO THE RECALL. *AK

NHTSA ID

10081496

Incident

Jun 12, 2004

Mileage

16,210 mi

TWO MONTHS AGO CONSUMER RECEIVED NHTSA RECALL 04V037000 REGARDING MICHELIN TIRES, 255/80R22.5 FAILURE. MANUFACTURER DIDN'T RETURN THE PHONE CALL, AND CONSUMER CALLED TWICE A WEEK. COULD NOT GET IN TOUCH WITH THE MANUFACTURER. *AK

NHTSA ID

10066988

Incident

Apr 12, 2004

I OWN A 2002 NEWMAR, KOUNTRY STAR MOTOR HOME. ON JANUARY 26, 2004 I RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER FROM NEWMAR FOR THE 2 FRONT TIRES - " CARCASS PLY FATIGUE TIRE FAILURE". THEY PROVIDED A NUMBER TO CALL TO ARRANGE TO GET THE FRONT 2 TIRES REPLACED. I CALLED THE NUMBER AND RECEIVED A VOICE MESSAGE THAT THEY WOULD CALL ME IN ONE WEEK! THEY DID AND I MISSED THE CALL. I CALLED AGAIN, SAME STORY, ETC, ETC. I FINALLY HAD TO TAKE A TRIP IN THE MOTOR HOME. THE TIRES LOOKED OK AND THEIR LETTER DID NOT SAY TO DRIVE. ( NOTE I HAVE ALWAYS KEPT THE TIRE PRESSURE AT 105 LBS. AND I HAVE NEVER OVERLOADED THE MOTOR HOME WHICH IS WHAT THEY CLAIMED WOULD CAUSE THE BLOW OUT. AFTER DRIVING ONLY 100 MILES ON MARCH 27, 2004 THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE BLOW OUT. I WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 55 MPH ON 4 LANE ROUTE, ;501 NORTH OF MYRTLE BEACH. I MANAGED TO SLOW DOWN, PULL OFF THE PAVEMENT AND STOP WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. IN ADDITION TO THE ENTIRE SIDE WALL OF THE TIRE BEING GONE THE EXPLOSION BLEW OFF THE FRONT FIBERGLASS PANEL OF THE MOTOR HOME. AFTER 6 HOURS, I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO GET A NEW TIRE AND CONTINUE THE TRIP. WHEN I RETURNED HOME AND CALLED NEWMAR, THEY SAID THEY WOULD NOT PAY FOR REPLACING MY TIRE OR FOR REPAIRING THE MOTOR HOME. MY DEALER GOT THE SAME ANSWER FROM THEM AND FROM MICHELIN. I COULD HAVE BEEN HURT AND I CERTAINLY BELIEVE THEY SHOULD PAY. I ALSO THINK THEY SHOULD HAVE A MUCH TOUGHER WARNING AND STAFF UP TO GET OWNERS TIRES REPLACED MORE QUICKLY! *NM

NHTSA ID

10064519

Incident

Mar 23, 2004